Street-car sign



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. PFINGST.

- STREET GAR SIGN. No. 503,552. 4 Patented Apg 15, 1893.

TN -5 fla J 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L. PFINGST.

STREET OAR SIGN.

(.No Model.)

Patented Aug. 15, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS PFINGST, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

STREET-CAR SIGN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 503,552, dated August 15, 1893.

Application filedNovem'ber 19, 1892. Serial No. 452,540. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS PFINGST, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Changeable Route-Signs for Street-Oars, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved sign mechanism represented in position for use on the hood of a car top, the hood being shown as broken off; Fig. 2 an end elevation of the same enlarged; Fig. 3 a transverse sectional view showing the holder casting; Fig. 1 a sectional elevation showing the journal of one of the sign-boards; Fig. 5 an elevation illustrating modification in the method of mounting the sign-boards; and Fig. 6 an end elevation showing a modification in the method of representing the signs.

Like letters and numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

My invention relates especially to reversible signs for use on the tops of street-cars whereby the sign-boards may be manipulated to indicate at least eight changes in the route of the car without dismounting the sign; and it consists in certain novel features hereinafter fully set forth and claimed, the object being to produce a simpler, cheaper and more effective device of this character than is now in ordinary use.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters from the following explanation:

In the drawings, A represents the root-hood of the car. At suitable distances apart on said roof two vertical standards or brackets, b, are secured by means of their bases, d, which are screwed or bolted thereto. The upper ends of these standards are provided with a sectoral eye, f, the lower angle, g, (see Fig. 2) of which is preferably a right-angle.

A casting, B, comprises a tubular body, h, (see Fig. 3) one end ofwhichis interiorly tapped and screw-threaded at, z. Said body has at its opposite end an annular flange, j, which bears when in position against the sectoral eye, f. Outside the flange, j, the casting is provided with a square or diamond-shaped bearing flange, 7t, best shown in Fig. 2, which seats into the angle, g, of the eye, f. Projecting centrally from said flange in alignment with the body, h, there is a lug, m, on which is disposed a washer, 19, held by a split-pin, g, on the outside of the sectoral eye, f. Radiating from adjacent theinner end of the body, h, and integral therewith there are four equidistant arms, r. Each sign mechanism is provided with two of the castings, B, the interiorly threaded bodies, h, of which are connected by an exteriorly threaded pipe, or tube, 25. One of the castings, B, is provided on the inner face of each arm, 7', with a disk, y, roughened or corrugated radially with escalop shaped teeth. Centrally through these disks and arms as shown in Fig. 3, a bolt, 4),

is journaled to rotate and slide. These bolts have a circular head, 10, corrugated to engage the disks, y. The opposite or outer ends of the bolts are screw-threaded and a hollow cap, 15, is disposed on each thereof. A coiled spring, 16, (see Fig. 3) is interposed around the bolts between each cap, 15, and the adjacent arm, 0, said spring acting expansively to draw the bolt outward and its head, w, against the corresponding disk, y. The caps, 15, are held in position and the tension of the springs 16, regulated by means of nuts, 17, turned onto said bolts. Each bolt-head, w, has a socket, 18, in alignment with its shank. The companion or opposite casting, B, has journaled in each arm an ordinary screw-bolt, 20, with a washer, 21, (see Fig. 4) interposed between its head, 22, and said arm. Onto the threaded end of said bolt a forked bracket, 23, is turned. These brackthe sectoral eyes, f, the rectangular bearings, 70, thereof sustaining the device in any assumed position for this purpose in a manner which will be readily understood without a more explicit description. Each plate, 0, can be turned to expose its inner face by rotating on its hearings in the casting arms, 7"; the tension of the springs, 16, on said bearings looking it With sufficient rigidity to sustain it in position when thus rotated.

The device as thus constructed is in compact, convenient form for indicating numerous routes Without the necessity of removing the sign from the car and substituting others as is customary with the ordinary methods of mounting the sign, it being impracticable by such methods to provide the same with more than two imprints on its opposite face.

I do not confine myself to employing the special tension mechanism for holding the sign-plates, O, in position when adjusted, but deem the flanges, w, 3 or a similar mechanism preferable as the tension thus afforded is sufficiently strong to resist ordinary jars or blows to which the plates may be subjected when reversing the castings, B, on their journals to expose another plate.

In Fig. 5 the casting, B is shown with sockets, 30, for receiving the sign-plates, 0 into which they are dropped. The tension mechanism in this form is done away with and the plates are held in position by set-screws, 31. Centrally the castings are provided with a socket, f, in which a pipe, 25 is turned to connect the two castings.

In Fig. 6 an alternating method is shown in which a rectangular casting, B is employed, mounted to rotate in like manner from that described in the first form.

The sign-plates, O, in this construction are hinged by an edge at, 35, to the corners of the casting. Their free edges are locked in position on the casting by spring-catches, 36, said catches being mounted on and projecting from the inner faces of the castings. The castings may be rotated to expose consecutive signs in the same manner as that described for the first form.

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim is- 1. A reversible route sign mechanism for street-cars comprising two supporting brackets or standards having forked bearing-ends; two connected castings provided with rectangular bearings for seating in said brackets and sign-plates mounted to rotate in said castings, substantially as described.

2. A reversible route sign mechanism for street-cars comprising two supporting brackets or standards having forked bearing-ends; two connected castings provided with rectangular bearings for seating in said brackets and sign-plates mounted to rotate in said castings and a tension mechanism for locking said plates, substantially as set forth.

3. A street-car sign, mechanism comprising two standards having sectoral-eyes in their upper ends and two connected castings having rectangular bearings fitted to seat in said eyes, said castings supporting independently rotative sign-plates, substantially as set forth.

l. In a streetcar sign mechanism two connected plates or castings mounted to be intermittently rotated on the car in combination with one or more sign-plates journaled in said castings and mechanism substantially as specified for locking said plates against free rotation.

5. In a street-carsign mechanism the standards provided with the sectoral eyes in combination with the connected castings having the angular bearings seated therein and provided with radiating arms; the reversible sign-plates journaled in corresponding arms andaspringtension mechanism forsaid plates, substantially as described.

6. The standards, I), having the steps, 9, in combination with the connected castings, B, having the rectangular bearings/ 0, and arms, 0"; the plates, 0, journaled to rotate and move longitudinally in said arms and tension mechanism therefor, substantially as described.

7. A sign mechanism for street-cars comprising a frame mounted to be rotated on the car; locking mechanism therefor and signplates independentlyreversible on said frame, substantially as specified.

8. The standards provided with sectoral eyes in combination with the connected castings having angularbearings, 7t, seating in said eyes; the sliding-bolts journaled in arms on said castings; sign-plates supported by corresponding bolts; and a spring-actuated friction-mechanism tensionin g said bolts, substantially as described.

9. The revoluble connected castings and their supports in combination with the reversible sign-plates journaled in said castings, one journal of said plates being spring-pulled longitudinally; a friction-plate or disk on said journal engaging a similar surface on the adjacent casting-substantially as described.

LOUIS PFINGST.

Witnesses:

KATHARINE DURFEE, O. M. SHAW. 

